The Home Office is refusing to reveal how many grooming gang members have been deported amid calls for a government-backed inquiry into the scandal.
There are countless examples of foreign criminals managing to avoid being sent back to their home countries after serving jail time for serious offences.
Some are convicted child groomers such as Qari Abdul Rauf, a ringleader of the Rochdale paedophile ring who was still living in the UK in 2024.
The father of five – who worked as a taxi driver and Muslim preacher – was among nine Asian men found guilty of sex offences against vulnerable girls in 2012 and received a six year jail sentence.
He was released in November 2014 after serving just two years and six months and – despite former Home Secretary Theresa May ordering him to be deported – he remained in Rochdale as of this time last year.
Pakistan reportedly refused to take Rauf, prompting fury among victims who were forced to continue living alongside him.
Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, last night called on ministers to restrict visas for countries such as Pakistan if they refuse to accept groomers.
Qari Abdul Rauf, a ringleader of the Rochdale paedophile ring, was still living in the UK in 2024
‘Governments have been trying to deport these perpetrators for years, including stripping them of citizenship where possible,’ he told the Telegraph.
‘If their original home country does not take them back, we should look at reducing or stopping visas to nationals of those countries.
‘I expect the countries concerned will then rapidly reconsider their position.’
The Home Office insists that it will ‘do everything’ to ensure serious foreign offenders are deported, but has declined to reveal the specific figures for convicted groomers.
Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman has called for a ‘zero tolerance approach’ to the deportation of foreign child sex offenders.
She said: ‘We need to have a zero tolerance approach when it comes to deporting those foreign nationals who have been found guilty of these heinous crimes.’
However, a Home Office source said that the number of foreign criminals being deported from the UK dropped under the Conservative government.
It comes as Sir Keir Starmer prepares to mount a defence of the grooming gangs scandal amid mounting pressure for a public inquiry.
The Home Office has declined to reveal the specific figures for convicted groomers. Pictured is Home Secretary Yvette Cooper
Whitehall sources said the PM will use a press conference this morning to justify his actions as director of public prosecutions more than a decade ago, which tech billionaire Elon Musk has claimed makes him ‘complicit’ in allowing the gangs’ activities to continue unchecked.
Sir Keir is expected to repeat comments from 2023 when he stressed he gave the ‘green light’ to the first prosecution of a gang of sexual predators in Rochdale.
But he has faced questions in recent days over a 2009 decision by the Crown Prosecution Service to drop a major case against an alleged grooming gang in Rochdale.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting yesterday hit back at Mr Musk’s ‘ridiculous’ criticism of the Government’s handling of the scandal.
In a series of media interviews, he accused Mr Musk of a ‘disgraceful smear’ against safeguarding minister Jess Phillips over her decision to reject calls for a Government-backed inquiry into the failure to tackle the activities of paedophile gangs operating in Oldham.
Mr Musk said last week Ms Phillips ‘deserves to be in prison’ for denying the request.
But Mr Streeting described his attacks on the PM and Ms Phillips as ‘ill-informed’, adding: ‘People like Keir Starmer and Jess Phillips have done the hard yards of actually locking up wife beaters, rapists, paedophiles.’
Writing in yesterday’s Mail on Sunday, Kemi Badenoch said an inquiry should ‘identify the bodies that failed as well as the individuals who facilitated or ignored these crimes so they can be removed from their roles’.
Seven men who were jailed for a total of 106 years for being part of a grooming gang in Rotherham
Nigel Farage also backed an inquiry – and said it was fair for Mr Musk to question what role, if any, Sir Keir had in decisions by the Crown Prosecution Service not to pursue serious allegations in Rochdale in 2009.
Mr Streeting said numerous inquiries had already been conducted – and it was now time to get on and implement the recommendations.
Today, Professor Alexis Jay – who led the national inquiry into child sexual abuse – called for the ‘full implementation’ of reforms set out in her 2022 report.
The academic distanced herself from demands for a new independent probe and urged instead the introduction of measures like a child protection authority which she recommended two years ago.
She said: ‘Our mission is not to call for new inquiries but to advocate for the full implementation of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse’s recommendations. A child protection authority is critical to this process.’
In a statement, the Government said it was working ‘at pace’ to deliver the reforms set out in the 2022 review, which found abuse was ‘endemic’ across society in England and Wales.
‘No child should ever suffer sexual abuse or exploitation and it is paramount we do more to protect vulnerable children – which is why we are working at pace across government to drive forward real action to implement the recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse,’ a spokesperson said.
‘Professor Alexis Jay worked for seven years on a comprehensive independent inquiry and continues to work with survivors of these heinous crimes – and this Government is committed to working closely with survivors and expert groups like Act on IICSA.’
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